500 Years

The first trial in the Americas to judge the genocide of indigenous people polarizes a nation and has the potential to re-write history.

500 Years documents the 2013 genocide trial of former Guatemalan president Efrain Rios Montt, and its aftermath. Rios Montt stood trial for the killing of 1,700 Maya Ixil people from 1982-1983 – the first trial in the history of the Americas for the genocide of indigenous people. When Rios Montt is found guilty, a higher Guatemalan court vacates the verdict – and 500 Years follows the diverse responses among various members of Guatemalan society.